Fire extinguisher



June 5, 1945.

c. B. WHITE ET Al.v

FIRE EXTlNGUISHER Filed July 8, 1943 y mfd'mys PatentedV June `5, 1945 e aardgas lF.Il: `EXTINGFUIsmeltt ..l r` B. vWhite and oharies'n." Linasaygniinira,

y N, Y., assignors' to American-La. FranceFoam`- j te CorporatiomElmira, Y., a corporation ofr Ap'peate, July `is, 1943, serial Nuliease solaires. (C1. 1691-32? `This' `invention `relates to re extinguishers, `which function` by the effect of, chemical` reaction l andwhich, are `requiredito be installed in situaoutlet hose andL nozzletv The ,l pressures ordinarily required are about 90 pounds `for liquid streams,

` andi45 `or 5,0 pounds when thestream istfoam.

tions Where the temperature may vary from many degrees below @zerO t many` degreeszabove. ItsI object is toadapt suchapparatusto project extinguishing liquid, which may be foam, in a stream which isgneither` too forcefullat the higher teml peratureswhen chemical action isyvigorous, nor

toofeeble at the lower temperatures whensuch action is'fsluggish; l

This object isiobtained by the ,employment `of a thermostaticyalve,fwhichcan be ofL simple design and therefore `reliable in 1 action, iorgcorr-` trolling ,the communication between ther mixing space or reaction zone in the extinguisher anda supplemental `compartmentl containing eithera` reservesupply of one of `the ,reactingchemicals or a special chemical. Such valvecopens `or permits` the opening ogfits;` compartment by the `effect of temperature and thereby adds its chemical to the reacting solutions insuch Way as to` balance` the elect of an extreme temperature or as circumstances require. f Extinguishers operatl `ing on this new principle can be variously designed and the two forms herein shown aremerel ly exemplary.

Inthedrawing,

Figure 1 represents an extinguisher in with parts `broken away and interior parts shown in section;

Figure 2 is a cross section on line 1I, II of Figure l, and l Figure 3 is a modified form `of supplemental compartmentand valve. L

The extinguisher body may comprise the conventional main receptacle I provided with a hose elevation` The solution `isof course selected: according to Y the reaction desired, `with an` alcohol `oruthe like present to `prevent freezing.,r Wehave' usedpan acid-reacting solution `of aluminum sulfate `Al2(SO4)a 20 oz. in `1 quart of -waterlwith 4102.

of conc. sulfuric acid or other non-fuming acid.`

The reaction -of solutionsvAand. B occurs in the present case on the` inversion of the extinguisher, at which time the stopple 5 falls away `from its seat and 'thetwo liquids mixtogether; and react,

but any other means ofbringing about. contact l and; reaction can of course beemployed. y `In the main container there-is,alsolocatedy ,the supplementarylreceptacle or compartment `indisupplemental reagentorsolution It can `be of` smallertcapacity than the A receptacle `and has a cover or valve which istghingedliatgil) and adapted` to be held closed by a latch member 9 hooking over the free edge of the cover.` This latch is constituted of or controlled by thermo-` static material which gives it a hook-shape at l moderate temperatures and higher, but straightens out at lower temperatures. It thus holds the valve closed under part of the temperature `range but unlocks it in the other part of the range so` that it also may fallaway from its seat on inversion. l l `The C solution of the supplemental compartment'l is thus admitted to the reaction zone only and nozzle as usual, and a screw cap cover 2. if This receptacle may be assumed to containthe main body of extinguishing liquor, say a solution l of sodium or potassium bicarbonate, termed solution B, liberally dosed with a polyhydric alcohol,

or other suitable depressant, to keep it from freezing at the low temperature, say` F.' Specically, We have used for` the B solution 2 lbs. of

` KHC03, `4 quarts water, 3 quarts ethylene g1yco1 and a foam stabilizer.

The main receptacle also contains an inner receptacle 3 removablysupportedby the cage structure 4 from the cover 2 vor in the neck opening. This inner receptable 3 contains the com--` panion reagent or solution A' which is one adapted to react with the soda to `evolve carbon dioxide gas and thereby furnish the internal pressure for expelling the extinguishingliquid through the stimulate the gas production of the A and solu. e `tions and thereby developinstantly the proper i when the temperature conditions reduire` it.

Such `solution may comprise or consist of any vigorous acid-reacting substance, suited to the other" reagents, `for example stannic chloride,

diluted in water and glycol, or any member of the` group of reagentswhich comprises: AlCl3 sneu, sicu, 'non and sbcl.,` `The effect of this additional stronger `solution is lto supplement or expelling pressure `to give the proper stream. The relative proportions of the three solutions `are selected according tothe nature of the reagents used and so as to produce theeffect just stated. fWith A and B solutions as `above described we have used -200 cc.` of anhydrous SnCl4 in`250 cc. of a 25% solution of .ethylene glycol, but there is no limitation to specic` proportions or dilutions since they may be combined to evolve the propervolume of gas according to preference.

It may be assumed that both the A and C solutions react with the base to liberate CO2 in cold admitted to the reaction zone at a rate more orV less proportional to the temperature change. In this form the supplemental receptacle II) has a piston or slide-valve type of cover II supported on a thermostatic bellows I2l resting on a cross.

brace I3. T he expansive tendencyof the bellows is balanced against the pressure of a spring' Ill so as to hold the valve in a closed position indisaid compartment adapted for retaining and preventing the use of the contents thereof in one extreme of temperature condition and releasing such contents in the other extreme.

2. An extinguisher of the type comprising nort mally separated gas-producing reactive solutions, including a supplemental compartmentpcontaininga third `reagent and a. thermostatically governed valve device controlling the outlet of said compartment.

' 3. An extinguisher comprising a receptacle for basic solution, a companion receptacle for a relativelyv 'Weak-acid-reacting solution, a third receptacle for a relatively strong acid reacting solution, meansjfor lcausing the flowing together of 'said solutionsjtooperate the extinguisher, and a cated in full lines at the higher temperature.'vv

When the temperature falls toward the other end of the range of the shrinking of the bellowsallows thespring to push the valve downward more orleS's to the dotted line position, which `opens the compartment. The bellows, valve and spring are connected respectively to each other and to the screw cap I5 so that-they can be removed With-the latter, as a unit, when the supplemental compartment isl to be'replenished. The cylindrical skirt of the piston I I can be dimensioned in relation to the tapered opening itcontrols to give a proper graduation for the lovv of the C solution into the mixing ,spacel making it apparent that inmiddle range operations not al1 of this solution will be used to produce the discharge.

thermostatic valve device controlling the ow out of said thirdreceptacle.

V4. ,i'in` invertible type extinguisher comprising a main receptacle containing basic solution and freeze-pointvdepressant, -an inner receptacle containing an acid-reacting solution oflow freez-` ing point `adapted to mingle withthe other fon inversion to produce gas, a thirdy receptacle containing a supplementary solution'also of low freezingl point and capable of supplementing the gas production of the others, at low` temperatures and a valve device controlling the entry ofthe latter solution into association'with the 'other solutions.

5. A fire extinguisher comprising a main receptacle containing a low-freezing'solution and another receptacle containing a diierentfsolutio'n reactive with said first solution,"the latter recep-v tacle having a valvedoutlet 'opening into 'the main receptacle and a thermostat-controlling the valve of said outlet and thereby governing the rate of flow from said latter receptacleinto the main receptacle; l

I i CLII.="EOR,Dl B. WHITE.

CHARLES H. LINDSAY. 

